4/10/11

Students participated in a school-wide Sharing of Learning in mid-February.

Primary and upper elementary students each undertook an independent study in an area of interest this winter. They focused on researching and recording information, and communicating their learning effectively and creatively through written reports, graphic charts and diagrams, models and artifacts, drawings, and oral presentation. Here Carter talks about a study he did on penguins.

The upper elementary group focused on human biology in science class. Amelia and Reid talk about a project they did on the digestive system.

Carter shares his independent study on the Civil War.

Bo talks with a parent about the project he did with Schuyler on the cardiovascular system.

Lexi with her study on desert foxes.

Lily reads a comparison chart.

Louis talks with a parent.

Middle school students all did an independent research project on a topic of choice in their Earth Science class. They each wrote a paper and created a power-point presentation which they shared with the community. Parker focused on physical geography with an emphasis on coastal geography.

Henry makes a presentation to the younger students.

The primary group performs music for their parents.

The primary group has been collecting a range of data on our hens and their egg laying activity through the winter. They have recorded and interpreted this information in a variety of charts.

Adrian admires the study that Lucas and Kosmo did on sharks.

We celebrated our annual Arts Immersion Week in February.

Isaac in a drumming workshop.

Chimie Bangoura, from Guinea, West Africa, who now lives locally, led a drumming workshop.

Rainer, Margot and C

Kosmo on the potter's wheel.

Parent Jes Berry led a pack basket workshop.

Rainer at work.

John and Henry

Ari leads a pottery workshop.

Lily at work in a fiber arts workshop.

Aran and Evan

Austin and Bill working on the barn door in an outdoor classroom woodworking workshop.

Eliot in the henhouse.

The edible products of a sushi workshop - ready to be shared with everyone for snack.

Charlie at work in a South American culinary arts workshop led by Brendan.

Reid, Michael and Nadine

Fresh lime drink

John and Patrick helped to build an outdoor grill for cooking the marinated beef.

The workshop culminated in a school-wide feast featuring all the dishes the group worked on and perfected. Brendan slices the grilled meat.

Michael introduces the desserts to everyone.

Nadine explains one of the dishes they prepared. The menu:Codfish and shrimp frittersRice and red beansMarinated beefFried bananasLime drinkGuava sweetBrigadeiroPassionfruit mouse

Lissy Heminway of Vermont Dogsled led a workshop one day. Lily and Bailey are ready for a ride.

Lissy, Austin, Bo and Michael

Nadine and Isaiah with the dogs

Anoushka, Zave and Isaiah

In March, the upper elementary group went out to the Heminways' place for a day. Here they are in a yurt interviewing Lissy about her experience with her dogs and the business.

Isaiah and Lissy

Nadine and Bo carry a bucket of sap.

Quinn with one of the dogs

Zave, Schuyler and Isaiah

The middle school group did an overnight winter camping trip on the Heminways' land. Here Henry and John are in the sugarhouse, boiling sap

Rainer with one of the dogs

We cooked dinner over a fire: pan roasted potatoes with caramelized onions, and marinated leg of lamb. Also, Caesar salad, pasta and cheese, and a to-die-for baklava for dessert (made ahead of time at school). Red Cedar staff and students are foodies.

Crys, Jez and Lena

Parker and Patrick - around the fire after dinner, under a (almost) full moon.

Lama Tenzin Dhonden, the peace emissary of the Dalai Lama, (and a friend of RC parent, Chessy Kelley), visited the school for an afternoon in early March. He met with all of the students, who asked him many questions about his life and beliefs.

As part of their class study of human biology, Lillie and Amelia are viewing slides of human lymph cells and drawing what they see. The class looked at cells from various human body systems.

In March, the upper elementary group focused on comparative anatomy. They drew and dissected a cow heart, sheep heart, sheep brain, cow kidney and cow eye.

In March we went out to Crown Point to observe the progress on the Champlain Bridge.

We met with parent Gene Kensek, who is a shop steward for the the project. He talked about the many parts of the project and explained how they all come together.

About Us

The Red Cedar School is an independent day school for students in grades K-9. Founded in 1989, the school is located north of the village of Bristol at the edge of the Green Mountains in Vermont.
For more information, see redcedarschool.org.